Total War
by 8Ball3
Summary: "Si vis pacem, para bellum." It is a generation of untold peace and prosperity, when the demigods of Greece and Rome have accomplished so much, The House of Life is stronger than ever, and Valhalla is, well, Valhalla. A new threat is rising, one that could shake the foundations of the universe itself. Rated M because of violence and language. **INDEFINITE HIATUS**
1. I

Every two hundred years, the gods convene. The Olympians, the Aesir and Vanir, and the Duatians. Greece and Rome, Egypt, and Norway. They all come together for four days on the moon to discuss what is happening with the worlds.

Zeus stood on the dusty lunar surface, gazing towards the blue and green marble that he and hundreds of others called home. The other thirteen Olympians were gathered behind him. Poseidon bickered with Athena, Hades argued with Demeter, Hera glared at everyone, Artemis smacked Apollo each time he tried to recite a poem, Ares and Aphrodite were busy sucking face while Hephaestus watched bitterly, Hermes yakked away on his phone, Dionysus summoned a bottle of wine only for it to turn to water, and Hestia stood by her brother's side.

"You seem troubled, Zeusy."

"How many times have I told you, Hestia, not to call me that?"

"My apologies. I thought you liked it." Zeus glared at his older sister. She simple smiled.

"The others should be arriving soon." Hermes said, putting his phone away. "I just finished talking with Bes and Meili." Zeus nodded. He sent a bolt of lightning into the air. Everyone stopped and looked at their king.

"Take your places." Each god's or goddess's throne appeared in a semicircle and they sat, though conversations still flew around. A blast of rainbow colored light slammed into the moon. Out stepped Odin, king of the Aesir. The light disappeared and a small council of gods fanned out behind him.

Thor in his grungy glory, lifted his leg and farted, Frey and his sister Freya held a thumb war, Frigg stood by her husband's side, Tyr polished his hand-cap, Sif combed her hair, occasionally creating trophies that were thrown into space, and Njord waggled his toes. Meili, god of travel, grinned at Hermes, waved, and disappeared, the Bifrost taking him back.

"Odin. Greetings." Zeus boomed. Odin turned his eye to the king of the Olympians.

"Hello, Zeus. Been awhile." Odin waved his hand. Thrones appeared for each of his companions. Athena caught Frey's eye and nodded in greeting. They had a particularly close relationship, what with the Chase bloodline.

"Where's Ol' Fireball?" Thor asked. Apollo looked up from his Walkman and popped an earbud out.

"I hope you don't mean me."

"He's talking about me." A voice said. A man with a ram's head walked up to the assembly. An odd array of beings followed, led by Ra, king of the Duatians.

Horus, the falcon head, twirled a khopesh while his sister, Isis held a staff. Nekhbet and Babi argued in the old Egyptian language, Sobek looking very exhausted of their constant talking. Bast followed close behind Ra, acting as his bodyguard, her large, lamplike cat eyes taking in everything. Set and his red Set Monster head looked rather bored as he scrolled through his phone. Thoth flipped through a book, his ibis beak brushing the pages, magical hieroglyphics floating off his lab coat. Bes pranced around between the legs of the much taller gods, causing some to trip. Ra spoke some Divine Words.

"Crayt zrns." The shimmering icons formed simple stools. They sat and the Assembly of the Gods convened.

"Welcome, all of you. Seeing as most of you are here, you know what this meeting is about."

"Get on with it, Pops. I got chicks to see." Apollo said. Barely looking, Zeus zapped his son. The Greek sun god yelped.

"Apologies. Now, let's start with status. Odin, anything to report?" the one eyed god stood and pulled a rune from his pocket. He tossed it up and it formed a projector and screen. The screen read: "Assembly of the Gods 2024- Norse Report" Everyone groaned while Odin looked pleased with himself. A clicker appeared in his hand. The slide changed to show to talking points

"I am happy to say that everything is calm in the Nine Realms. No quests as of late and Loki is safely and securely bound in his cavern." Hera raised a hand. "Please save all questions until the end." Odin said. Slightly miffed, Hera lowered her hand. Zeus patted it. Odin clicked through his slideshow, showing graphs of Hotel Valhalla's steadily increasing population, statuses of the other eight realms, and specifically, how Magnus Chase and his crew were. Standard god procedure was to constantly be aware of "chosen" heroes.

"Magnus and his group haven't changed much since they last helped us. He did open a homeless shelter with his partner, Alex Fierro after their anti-Ragnarok quest."

"Are they still together?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yeah. Took forever for them to get that way." Freya spoke up. Aphrodite smiled. Odin sighed. Love goddesses.

"They are all happy knowing that they aren't needed anytime soon. Samirah Al-Abbas is happy with her husband, Amir Fadlan. Sam did give me her word that she would come to Asgard's aid should the need arise." Hera raised her hand again.

"Yes, Hera?"

"At the beginning, you said Loki is back in the same cave he broke out of?"

"Indeed."

"Doesn't that mean he can get out again?"

"Not likely. Eitri Junior forged unbreakable chains. They cannot be broken by any means, physical, magical or otherwise. We also placed enchantments down so even if he were to break out, he could not leave." Satisfied, Hera nodded. Odin went on for a few more hours to elaborate and discuss the state of the Nine Realms.

"Any more questions?" Odin asked. When no one raised a hand, Odin snapped his fingers and the presentation equipment disappeared. He returned to his throne.

"Well done, Odin. Assembly adjourned." The gods stood up and mingled for awhile. Zeus waved his hand and bends appeared for all to sleep in.

The next day was for the Duatians. After a breakfast of ambrosia and nectar, they returned to their thrones. Zeus nodded to Ra. The sun god stood.

"All is well with us. Lord Osiris is doing well in the Land of the Dead."

"How are those young magicians?" Frey asked. Horus and Isis stood.

"Sadie and Carter Kane are fine. Just a few months ago, Carter and Zia married. Sadie and Walt are still dating, in case you love goddesses were wondering." Isis said. Aphrodite sighed.

"I do like it when power couples stay together." Freya nodded in agreement.

"What about recruitment, the House of Life, all that?" Athena asked.

"Carter is Pharaoh of the House of Life and Sadie is Chief Lector. Since the Apophis Incident, we experienced a rise of a hundred and fifty percent of recruits. All the nomes are stable and flourishing." Horus said.

"Sadie even discovered a new branch of magic." Thoth said. "Divine Potions. It is done by making basic potions and speaking Divine Words over them to enhance their power. The more Words, the more powerful. It has proven extremely effective. She also created Godly Potions. An essence of a god is added to a basic mixture. They use it to help initiates find which path they wish to take." Everyone murmured in admiration. Zeus cast a bolt, restoring order. Ra continued, explaining the demon problem and how desperate they were to restore Apophis. The other gods shuddered at the mention of the Chaos Serpent.

The third day was vastly different. It started normal enough. Zeus stood.

"I guess it's my turn to tell you how things are on our side." He stood, pacing around the Assembly. "As you all know, ten years ago, the earth goddess Gaea attempted to rise and take us down. My wife, Hera, assembled the Seven. They stopped her and successfully brought our offspring together. Camp Half-Blood experienced such an increase in camp attendance a year after, they built a city, not unlike New Rome. It is called New Athens. The two camps have joint training programs, exchange programs, and have an annual two week celebration. The Reunification, it is called. After five years, the two camps became overpopulated. So they came together and built a city in the middle of the country. New Olympus. In fact, influence was so great, Mount Olympus moved so it was over top of it. With the Council's permission and a unanimous vote, they renamed it to simply Olympus. The camps and cities still exist, they are the training grounds for demigods and their children. Percy Jackson and his wife, Annabeth Jackson had the first Greek legacy in a thousand years. Jason and Piper Grace made further history with the first legacy of both Greek and Roman blood" Applause erupted from the assembled deities. Poseidon beamed with pride.

"I have a grandkid!" he hollered. When the laughter died down, Zeus continued.

"The Seven convened and agreed that demigods should have no need to live in fear of monster attacks. So the camps banded together and launched the Monster Purge. In a few short months, with the help of the Hunters and Amazons, they managed to get rid of all the monsters in the country." More applause. Poseidon took up the story.

"With all this new territory, the decided to start a country. Hidden from the mortal world, but it's there. When they needed a leader, all demigods eighteen or older voted on a leader. They chose Jason Grace and his wife, Piper Grace." Zeus beamed with pride in his son.

"Jason is a Roman son of Jupiter and Piper is the Greek daughter of Aphrodite. It balances the power. The Jacksons are in charge of the all land from the Mississippi to the East Coast while Frank Zhang and his partner Hazel Levesque hold power from the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific." Athena explained. Thoth stood.

"Won't that cause problems with the magicians and einherjar?"

"They agreed that any Egyptian Nomes within United States borders are free from Greco-Roman rule, but will be aided if the need arises. As for Valhalla, that is technically a part of Asgard and as such is not under their rule." Bes raised a hand.

"What's the name?" Athena tilted her head.

"Of what?"

"Of the country?"

"The U.D.E. United Demigod Empire." Applause erupted as the Norse and Egyptians applauded the Olympians for finally getting their act together.

"What's the power chain?" Frigga asked.

"Jason and Piper are the emperor and empress, The Jacksons, Levesque, and Zhang are regional rulers."

"What about Valdez, Di Angelo, and Arellano?" Thor asked. For some reason, Thor was a big fan of Leo Valdez.

"Leo is Head Engineer. He is in charge of the infrastructure and weapons of manufacturing, Reyna is General of Demigods and commands the joint forces of the Roman First Legion and Greek Hoplite Military. Nico is Spymaster. He goes around and listens for any whispers of rebellion." Hades supplied. Pride was evident in the ruler of the Underworld's voice as he told of his son. Unable to resist, Freya spoke up.

"Is Leo still with Calypso?" The Olympians quieted.

"Unfortunately, no. We never thought about what would happen in a three thousand year old immortal suddenly became a sixteen year old mortal. The years caught up to her quickly and she died of age two years ago." Aphrodite said sadly. Every god bowed their head in respect for the fallen heroine. Freya sniffled.

"They were so perfect for each other." the Norse goddess said. Aphrodite smiled through her tears.

"Girl, do I have some tea for you." Freya's eyes widened.

"Oh, you gotta tell me now!"

"Later, Freya. For now, let us discuss-" Odin was cut short when seven figures appeared.

The Three Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos stood before Zeus. The Norns, Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld, towered over Odin. Shai, Egyptian god of fate and destiny, plopped down in front of Ra. Zeus stood.

"What is the meaning of this." Clotho raised a hand and Zeus was pushed back into his chair. As one, the seven soothsayers spoke.

In the land beneath all,

Three gods await the fall.

The greatest heroes shall come,

Lest the world be caught aflame

Two months is the time,

Until the everlasting nighttime.

As suddenly as they appeared, the seven fortune tellers disappeared, leaving a scroll. Zeus picked it up. There was a sentence written on it.

You know who should do this. -The Fates

"Everyone, return to Earth. Odin, Ra, stay." Knowing the seriousness of the situation, the gods immediately left, save the three kings. Aphrodite whispered something to Freya.

"They are?! No way!" Freya's voice quickly faded. Zeus handed the document to Ra. The sun god read it and his eyes widened. Like a grabby two year old, Odin snatched it. His reaction was no different.

"We can't do that to them." Odin protested.

"Unfortunately, we have no choice." Ra said.

"We can send others!" Odin suggested. Zeus shook his head.

"The beings that are the future incarnated just gave us, the gods, a prophecy. The last time a potentially world destroying prophecy was issued, it was in the presence of Chiron. No god has ever had a prophecy, much less every major god."

"I have an idea of one of the three gods awaiting the fall." Ra said. Fear flashed in the old one's eyes. "I had suspected he would come back."

"Who?"

"Apophis. The Chaos Serpent."

"I think I know another." Zeus added. "Hades has told me of tremblings beneath the Underworld. The monsters are angry at being cast out. And their leader is thirsty for ichor and blood. The Pit, Tartarus. He is the second." Odin nodded.

"I went to check on Loki's bonds awhile ago. He was still there, but he told me something concerning. "My friends found a while ago, Ody." Loki is the third." The three kings were stunned.

Loki, Tartarus, and Apophis. Trickery, torment, and chaos. Dark times were ahead. Hopefully, their heroes were prepared.


	2. II

**Heyo! So this is the first official chapter in a much, MUCH longer story. Read it and let me know what you think.**

A young boy of about seven chased a girl of equal age around a playground. The boy's dirty blond hair stuck up everywhere from the wind while the girl's jet black locks fluttered behind her. She squealed as the boy almost got her and tried to run faster. Her green eyes searched the play area for any potential areas she could hide. The tube slide seemed like a good spot. Her small feet pounded the mulch as she got closer. She sprinted into the plastic tube and hunched up. It was all in vain. The little girl slid down right into the open palm of the boy. A yellow arc stretched from his hand to her arm.

"Ow! No fair! No lightning!"

"Sorry!" Quickly, a man and a woman ran over from were they had been watching. The man picked up the boy.

"Evan! How many times have we told you not to do that?" he scolded. The boy, Evan, shrugged.

"Lots."

"And you did it again didn't you?"

"Yeah. But not on purpose!"

"I know. Do it again." Grinning, Evan turned his hand to the girl. Small arcs of electricity shot out and zapped her.

"Evan! Stoppit!" she began to cry. The woman holding her immediately began trying to shush her.

"You're okay, Ariel. Evan didn't mean to. Uncle Leo told him to." she glared at Leo Valdez, whose eyes widened. "Now teach him a lesson." The woman held out a small water bottle. Ariel closed her eyes. Water floated out of plastic container towards Leo and Evan.

"Reyna, tell her to stop right now. Reyna?" The mass of water zoomed towards Leo and Evan. It splashed them both. Ariel opened her eyes. The two boys were both soaked. Leo glared at Reyna, who smirked. Quickly, Leo grabbed Reyna and kissed her, getting her all wet in the process.

"Ew, gross!" said Evan. Ariel nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, my parents do that all the time." Reyna pushed Leo off, who smiled.

"Now you're wet." Reyna rolled her eyes.

"Shut up." Steam rose off Leo's body. He pulled Reyna in, drying her off too. Then he picked up Evan and did the same.

"Come on, guys. Time to go home." Reyna said. Evan reached for Leo, who obliged. He swung the younger boy up onto his shoulders. Reyna held Ariel who insisted on playing with the end of Reyna's already neatly done braid. The four walked from the playground back towards the neighborhood where the younger kids lived.

"Are Mommy and Daddy back?" Ariel asked, still messing with Reyna's hair.

"I think so. Your mother likes to get things done exactly when they need to. Your dad on the other hand…"

"Oh, Percy would try to end a meeting right when it starts." Leo said. Reyna laughed.

"Y'know sometimes I wonder what Annabeth sees in him." Leo snorted. Evan grabbed Leo's curls.

"Faster, Uncle Leo, faster!"

"Ow, hey! Evan! Let go of my hair!"

"Not until you go fast!" Leo groaned. He began jogging at a moderate pace.

"Fasterer!" Evan zapped Leo lightly.

"Yowch! Don't-ow!-zap me!"

"Then go fast!" Leo began running.

"Be careful!" Reyna called after him. Leo ran a little ways, then circled back. When he reached Reyna and Ariel, he set down Evan. Slightly gasping for breath, Leo smiled.

"You know… little man… you're getting too… big… for me to… do that." Ariel squirmed wanting to be let down. Reyna set her down and she tottered off after her cousin. Reyna took Leo's hand.

"He looks up to you, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know. Kid's got a lot going for him, being the heir to the throne."

"Same with Ariel. She's gonna rule the East someday."

"Yeah." Leo pecked Reyna's cheek. "You gonna come over tonight?"

"Sure. I got nothin' going on." The four walked farther through the streets of New Olympus. As they were walking, a blue Prius with four dents in the hood stopped alongside the curb. The passenger window went down.

"Hey, sweetpea!" a voice called. Ariel turned.

"Mommy!" She ran up to the car, but Leo grabbed her.

"Let them stop first." The car turned off. The door opened and Annabeth Jackson stepped out. Her husband, Percy Jackson, got out of the driver side and slid over the hood. He stood next to his wife and slipped an arm around her waist.

"Hey, guys."

"Sup, Aquaman?"

"Leo, do you want to get demoted?" Leo straightened to perfect military position and saluted.

"No, sir!"

"Then quit it with the Aquaman."

"Yes, sir, Aquaman, sir!" Percy sighed. Annabeth laughed, along with Reyna. Leo noticed Evan walking away, not noticing they had stopped. He sprinted after the boy and picked him up.

"Waaah!"

"Come on, Lightning Boy. Ariel's leaving."

"Is Uncle Percy here?"

"Yep." Evan immediately demanded to be let go. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he took off.

"Uncle Perrrcyyy!" Percy saw him coming and knelt for a hug. Evan rammed into him at full speed, nearly knocking him over. "I missed you!"

"You saw me yesterday, though!"

"Well, duh. A day is a long time."

"A day is only twenty-four hours, Evan." Ariel said. Evan stuck his tongue out at his cousin, who returned the favor.

"Ariel, stop." Annabeth reprimanded her daughter, then returned to her conversation with Reyna. Percy made a face at his wife's back. Ariel and Evan giggled.

"Real mature, Percy, real mature." Leo said. Percy grinned.

"I know."

"Good seein' ya, Valdez."

"You too, man." Percy shook Leo's hand. Even though the Seven weren't technically related on the godly side, they considered themselves siblings because of all the time they had spent together. Except for their significant other, of course.

"So how's things with Reyna?"

"Good, good. I feel like this is really working."

"Yeah. You deserve it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. When, when Calypso, y'know…"

"Died. Just say it, jeez."

"Yeah, that. When she died, you were so depressed we thought something bad was gonna happen."

"Nope, nothing did."

"You know Piper ships you two the hardest, right?"

"Wouldn't put it past her." Annabeth opened the back door and put Ariel in her car seat. Percy hugged Reyna.

"Hey, Rey-Rey." She rolled her eyes

"Not you too." Percy acted offended.

"You mean that's not original?"

"Always give credit to the creator." Leo said, tossing a fireball from hand to hand.

"Of course you came up with that." Percy said. Leo just grinned.

"Percy! Car! Now!" Annabeth yelled.

"I'm comin'! Hold your pegasus!" Percy got in and started the engine. It coughed for a moment, then turned over. Ariel waved to Evan.

"Bye, Electron!"

"Bye!" When the blue car drove away, Evan turned to Leo.

"What does electron mean?"

"You'll learn." Leo patted his nephew's back. "Let's get you home." Leo took Reyna's and Evan's hands and they walked towards the Imperial Mansion.

If a mortal were to pass by and see Olympus, they would see a small rural village. Population of eight. Four or so houses clustered together. A clear sighted mortal would see a grand city, a mix of Roman and Greek architecture. The population was rising exponentially. Soon it would rival some cities in the States. If they were to look up above a massive tower, they would see Mount Olympus, the home of the Olympians. That was exactly was Rachel Elizabeth Dare saw as she drove up to the main gates of the city. She stopped next to a box. A camera clicked on and a guard spoke from the speaker.

"Who are and what is your business?" Rachel said nothing but removed her sunglasses. "Ah, hello, Miss Dare. You may enter."

The doors opened and Rachel drove through. A few white trucks trundled by. Words on the side read _Delphi Strawberry Service. _It had been Percy's idea to continue growing strawberries for profit. Within a year, Delphi Strawberry Service became the biggest strawberry grower in the world. This was helped mostly due to the numerous children of Demeter, Ceres, Dionysus, Bacchus, and satyrs that lived on the farmlands around the city. Rachel drove her car through the walls and weaved her way through the city. She wasn't here for a visit. She was here with a message from the Fates themselves.

As she drove towards the mansion were Jason lived, she noticed a couple walking with a blond kid. The guy had curly hair that occasionally erupted in flames while the girl had long, straight black hair. Leo and Reyna, walking Evan back to his parents. She slowed and called out the window.

"That's not your kid!" Leo turned, confused. When he realized it was her, he grinned and nudged Reyna. Reyna picked up the little boy and they walked over to the car.

"Hey, Rach. What's up?"

"Olympus. You heading to the kid's place?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Yep, hop in." Leo started to get into the passenger when Reyna yanked him back.

"Nope. I sit here." Leo sighed and pulled open the back door. Evan looked into the car and back at Leo.

"There's no special seat."

"That's because you're sitting with me." Leo got in and Evan sat on his lap. The door shut and Rachel drove off.

"Why are you heading to Jason's?" Reyna asked.

"I had a dream." Rachel stated. Reyna and Leo shared a look.

"What was it about?"

"I can't say. Only Jason can know. Just… just trust me on that," A few minutes later, they arrived at the main entrance to the Imperial Compound.. Two armed guards, one Roman and one Greek approached the car. Leo noted the spears the held were the X-3 kind. Those were his favorite. The shaft had three buttons that could transform the spear into three items. One button changed it into a rifle, another could change it into a net, and the last one changed it into a sword. The Roman pulled out a device and hit a button. It magically scanned the car, searching for any potential threats, mortal or mythological. The Greek knocked on the driver window. Rachel rolled it down.

"Business."

"They're with me, Donny." Reyna said. Donny's eyes widened. He snapped to attention and saluted.

"General! Uh, I wasn't-we weren't expecting you." Reyna chuckled.

"At ease soldier. It's fine." The Roman went to his partner's side. His reaction was almost identical to Donny's.

"General Reyna, ma'am!"

"It's fine, Toby." Reyna said, almost exasperated. The two guards waved them on. Rachel pulled through the open gate and the Imperial Mansion was in sight.

Leo had helped build the stupid thing and it still took his breath away. Designed by Annabeth herself, the Architect of Olympus, it was a beautiful sight.

The front porch was the size of a three car garage. Greek Corinthian columns adorned the front, evoking the Parthenon. A dome echoed the Pantheon in Rome. Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold covered the walls and roof, making it shimmer in the sun. The house itself sat on one acre. Six more were spread out around it, with different buildings for groundskeeping and equipment storage. Armed guards were stationed on the top of it, X-3 spears in rifle mode. Rachel drove along the driveway to the parking lot. The five got out and headed to the front door. When they knocked, they heard a clattering sound and a satyr opened the door. He wore a neat suit jacket and dress shirt, complete with a black tie.

"How can I he-" His expression went from neutral butler to ecstatic friend.

"Leo! Reyna!" he yelled.

"Dang man. We're right here." Leo grumbled, covering his ears. Evan hugged the satyr.

"Hi, Don!"

"Hey, little man!"

"Don, who is it?" a voice called from inside.

"Uh, Leo Valdez, Reyna Arellano, and Rachel Dare along with your son, milady." Don responded.

"Well, invite them in! And none of that milady crap!" Don stepped aside to allow the babysitters and Oracle into the house. The inside seemed just as big, if not bigger than the outside. The walls were painted white and the floors was done in white and black marble as well as green tinted abalone. The purple walls were accented with orange along the floor and ceiling. Leo heard footsteps coming down the hall. Piper Grace, Empress of the United Demigod Empire appeared, walking with confience. She hugged Leo and Reyna.

"Hey, guys. Thanks for watching Evan. How was he?"

"He was fine. Kept zapping Ariel though," Reyna said. Piper glanced at her son. The boy hid behind Don's leg.

"Evan, did you zap Uncle Leo at all?" The child shook his head. "Then do it now." Yellow electricity lanced from the small hand and hit Leo's leg. Leo jumped away.

"Piper!"

"Sorry, sorry," she didn't sound sorry as she picked up her son and kissed his forehead. Evan tried to wipe it away.

"Pipes, is Jason here?" Rachel asked. The Empress nodded.

"He's in his office. Leo, can you show her where it is?" Leo nodded and walked farther into the mansion. He led Rachel upstairs to the fourth floor. A door waited a little ways from the steps. Leo walked up to it and knocked.

"Who is it?"

"McShizzle! Lemme in!" The door clicked and Leo pushed it open.

Jason Grace, Emperor of the Empire, sat behind his desk. Leo peeked at the computer.

_12 Hour Vine Compilation_

Leo grinned at his best friend.

"Nice."

"Cut the shit, Leo. What's up?"

"Well, me and Reyna just dropped off Evan. Rachel was on her way here and gave us a lift. I dunno what for though,"

"I had a dream," Rachel said simply. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"About what?"

"I can't tell you with him here." Rachel gestured to Leo. Jason flicked his hand.

"Go tell Piper." Leo sighed.

"What am I, a messenger boy?" He walked out of the office and downstairs to Reyna and Piper. They were sitting at the table, discussing something. Leo liked how far they had come since meeting all those years ago at Camp Jupiter.

"Hey, Leo. You want anything?" Piper greeted.

"I'm good." he said and sat next to Reyna.

"Where's Rachel?" Reyna asked.

"She said she had a dream and needed to talk to Jason," Piper frowned.

"What was it about?"

"I dunno, but she seemed pretty shaken about it,"

"I wonder…" Piper mused.

"About what?" Reyna asked. Piper looked around. Don was playing with Evan nearby.

"Don, can you take Evan to his room and play there? I have to talk to them," Don nodded and took his charge upstairs. Piper traced her hand along grains of the wooden table.

"A few weeks ago, we lost contact with our Alaska settlement."

"I heard rumors about that," Leo said. "Someone said there was a rebellion. What happened?"

"We think a monster attack. I don't understand how though. All the monsters were driven out,"

"Wasn't there a resistance pocket in Northern Canada?" Reyna asked. Piper nodded

"Yes, but they were so far north, we didn't think much,"

"Have you told the people?" Leo asked. Piper said nothing and the son of Hepheastus sighed. "Piper, you gotta tell them something. Everytime governments fall apart, it's because the brass kept sensitive secrets, like a settlement outside the land of the gods getting attacked. You don't even have to say it was attacked. Just say 'contact was lost, but attempts are being made'. That reassures people." Leo said.

"I know, Leo, but we've worked so hard clearing oust damn near the entire continent. And what, one group attacks, we turn tail and run? That's not how we do that,"

"Have you sent anyone?" Reyna asked.

"We sent Clarisse and her Spartans," Reyna looked offended that the decision wasn't passed by her. She started to say something, but Piper held up her hand. "Before you say anything, let me point out that Clarisse is leader of Camp Half-Blood and New Athens. Which means she is not technically under your chain of command. So Jason went to her and asked if she could check it out."

"What did they find?" Leo asked.

"The entire place was destroyed. They found one survivor, which they took back to the New Athens hospital. The only thing they got out of him was that an organized force of almost five hundred monsters attacked, which confirmed our hypothesis. He died of his wounds shortly after," Piper's usually confident voice was shaky. Leo raised an eyebrow.

"How'd Jason respond?"

"He sent Nico and the Shadows to look more into it. He also contacted Thalia and the Hunters. They're there right now."

The people in question were indeed in Alaska. Nico di Angelo, Spymaster and commander of the elite Shadows sifted through the rubble of a house. How could so many monsters organize, attack, and leave without a trace. His black cloak trailed around his feet, fluttering whenever a breeze picked it up. The son of Hades stood, rubbing the hilt of his sword.. The nine other members of his team picked around, searching for clues. All were related to some dark god. Hecate, Morpheus, Orcus. A few children of Ares who would rather silently kill than bash their way to victory. The silver parkas of the Hunters of Artemis were interspersed between the assassins and spies. Nico watched a Hunter walk up to him, her silver tiara glinting in the evening sun.

"Anything to report?" he asked.

"Nothing. All my trackers and scouts gathered is that they came out of nowhere, murdered everyone, took the bodies, and disappeared. No clues as to where," she said. Her voice shook. "Two hundred dead, Nico. Two hundred. Men, women, and children." Nico patted her back.

"It's okay, Thals. They're okay."

"Commander Di Angelo!" a Shadow called. "We got somethin'!" Nico sprinted over to the cluster of Shadows and Hunters gathered around something.

"What is it?"

"We found someone."

**I got the idea of Jason being the emperor of a big, demigod empire from a different story, but that's about where the similarities end. The power chain was explained in the prologue, which is really just an entire chapter of exposition. It's still important though, so please read it again if you don't understand much. If anything is confusing, PM me and I will explain it. -RFA**


	3. III

**I'm sorry if the numbers don't line up. I'm not good at thinking of chapter titles.**

The Ancient Greeks believed that the world was separated into three parts. The Earth, incarnated in Gaea, who was defeated by Leo Valdez. The Sky, incarnated in Ouranos, who was sliced into pieces by his son, the Titan Lord Kronos millenia ago. The final part was the Pit, Tartarus. The home of all monsters. Malevolent, unforgiving, and brutal. A man stood at the center of the place, Tartarus' heart. He seemed to shimmer, for this was not a real man. Loki, god of mischief, was seeking an audience with Tartarus.

"Hey, Whirlpool-Face! C'mere!" he shouted. His voice echoed across the landscape. A dull booming sound echoed across the ground. Loki tried not to gag at the sound of a heart beating. An explosion roared across the ground and a purple fist smashed to where Loki stood. Had he actually been there, he would've been squashed flat. Fortunately or unfortunately, a massive figure suddenly loomed over Loki.

"Loki. What do you want?" the figure grumbled. His face, a whirling, black void seemed to suck in the very words he spoke.

"I have a proposition for ya."

"Make it quick. You're wasting my time." Tartarus grumbled. Loki scoffed.

"What time? You literally do nothing here."

"Shut up! What's your proposition?"

"Well, actually, it's not just for you,"

"Who else?"

"D'you know how to get into the Duat? Specifically the Sea of Chaos?" If Tartarus had eyes and was human sized, they would have been as wide as dinner plates.

"What do you need to go there for?"

"Need to see an old friend." Loki sensed the dark god's confusion. Reluctantly, Tartarus summoned a portal. A churning red ocean stretch out beyond it. Loki stepped through it, Tartarus following. The massive god's form shrunk down to Loki's size.

"You do know where we're going?" Tartarus asked. Loki seesawed his hand.

"Kinda. My informant told me where he was, so I'm beelining for that." Loki pointed to a massive white obelisk. He set off across a narrow causeway that lead to an island where the obelisk was built. When Loki set a foot on the island, a massive shadow curled and thrashed. Loki knelt.

"It's an illusion. He's not really a snake shadow," Concentrating, Loki tried to dispel the magic. Unable to disple the powerful Egyptian magic, he called Tartarus over.

"Oi, Vacuum Cleaner, I need your help," Tartarus bristled slightly at the vacuum cleaner comment, but knelt next to Loki. "Project all your strength into freeing him." the trickster said. Both gods concentrated. The ground rumbled and a hissing noise grew. The shadow writhed and bucked. With a sound of breaking glass, the shadow splintered. A massive cobra erupted from the ground, hissing in triumph. Apophis, Egyptian god of Chaos, was free.

"Ah, fresh air." He seemed to notice the two gods for the first time. "What do you two want?"

"Hey, Snek. I'm Loki, your friendly neighborhood trickster god, and this fine gentleman is Tartarus. Say hi to Mr. Apophis, Tarty."

"I'm not waving."

"Are you done? Because I have things to do, gods to consume, an-"

"Why aren't you hissing more?" Loki asked. Apophis looked as confused as a giant snake could be.

"What?"

"Why aren't you hissing? Every movie or television series that has a serpentine villain, they always draw out the 's'."

"That's a stereotype. We don't actually do that."

"Bummer," Loki said, disappointed. Remembering the real reason he was there, the Norse god gathered his thoughts. "Alright, Apophis, you're probably wondering why I freed you. All will be explained in due time. For now, allow me to explain something to both of you. The gods are our enemies, obviously. For the longest time, we tried to take them down on our own. Tartarus, how many times have the Olympians resisted attacks?"

"Three, four times. That is too many,"

"Exactly. Apophis, you tried once, right? And they resisted."

"Because of those insufferable magicians getting in the way."

"Well, demigods and _einherjar_ for Tartarus and I, but same thing. So how do we beat them?"

"Loki, we've tried and failed. I seem to recall you were insulted into a walnut by a son of Frey." Apophis said. Tartarus snickered and Loki turned bright red.

"Walnuts are an excellent source of omega three. Though they are a bit fatty, but no matter. My point is, we can't do what we've done before,"

"Attack the gods?" Tartarus said. Loki smacked the back of the dark god's head.

"No, you buffoon. We attack the gods,"

"I literally just said that,"

"When I say 'we, I mean us three. And maybe a few of our oldest and most powerful monsters."

"Wait. So you're saying I attack Olympus?" Tartarus asked, confused.

"Yes,"

"And I attack the Sun Palace?" Apophis said warming up to the idea.

"Yep. I'll attack Asgard. They can't stop us. We are too powerful. Heck, Apophis almost _won_. I have a few cards up my sleeve. First, I need to be freed,"

"I can take us back to me. We'll go from there," Tartarus said and opened another portal. He leaped through it. Loki followed and Apophis slithered through.

"Nice place," Apophis said. If Tartarus could smile, he would have.

"Thanks, I-" He was cut short by a spear jabbing out of his breastplate. "Arrgh!"

"I've seen this movie!" Loki screamed. Apophis slithered back. Tartarus fell back, ichor spurting everywhere as the spear was joined by white point. The blades cut back and forth, opening a hole in Tartarus' chest.

A silvery glow followed and a Titan spilled out holding a broom along with a huge saber-toothed tiger. A drakon tumbled out, a giant riding it's back. Bob the Titan stood and looked around. He noticed Loki and Apophis. Damasen spat on Tartarus' convulsing form.

"Let's get outta here, Iapetus." Iapetus, or Bob, glared at the two quivering gods. Small Bob hissed for good measure. The Titan mounted the drakon with the Giant and they bounded away, the tiger running at breakneck speeds. The bloody wound in Tartarus' chest began closing up.

"That's not good," he slurred.

The drakon bounded across the landscape.

"Come on, Lucy. You can do it," Damasen murmured. Lucy the drakon roared in agreement.

"Small Bob! Here!" Iapetus called to his feline friend. The tiger jumped onto the back of the Titan and nestled in his hair, purring up a storm.

As she neared the Cliffs of the Phlegethon, Lucy leaped into the air. Unfurling wings, she flapped once and soared into the air. Damasen steered towards the only entrance, the hole in the bottom of the earth. Lucy centered and flew through. The drakon shot out the other side into a cavern. The ceiling rapidly approached. She tried to slow down, but couldn't. Acid streamed from her mouth, impacting the surface. It bubbled and hissed, eating away slowly. Too slow. Quickly, Iapetus hefted his broom and threw it. The deadly janitorial device glowed silver and smashed a massive hole through it. Lucy soared into the cool night of Rome. Flying above the clouds, Iapetus looked at the night sky.

"Hello, stars," As if they heard him, the pinpoints of silver glowed brighter. The Titan tapped the giant's shoulder. "Let's go find our friends." Damasen smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Aye." Lucy roared and angled west, flying over the Atlantic.

Back in the pit, Tartarus was fuming. The two people he didn't want escaping his grasp, had done it. Had they heard what he discussed with Loki and Apophis? The Dark Ones, as they called themselves, were preparing to attack their respective gods in three weeks time. During those weeks, they would build up their armies and strength, waiting for the right time to finally destroy the gods. Hundreds of thousands of monsters gathered at Tartarus's heart. He stood above them and spread his arms.

"My children! Soon, we shall annihilate the gods! We will cast their thrones into the void and watch as they are cast into the abyss. Demigod flesh will fill your stomachs and the mortals will grovel at our feet, worshipping us as they once did the gods. We shall rule!" The army roared their alliance. Tartarus felt satisfied that all of them were under his control. He was about to say something, when a familiar sensation tickled his back. Turning his head, he watched as a sword blade stabbed outward. It slashed open a wound were ichor streamed like water. The god fell face first to the ground. Hyperion and Krios scrambled out. Hyperion stood over Tartarus.

"Hello, Tartarus." he gloated and spat at the ground by the Pit's face.

Recovering quickly, Tartarus grabbed Hyperion's neck. He stood shakily. Essence absorption was too kind for him. Tartarus flicked his wrist. A dark metal dagger appeared. He raised it as Hyperion struggled to free himself from the vise-like grip. Resting the tip on the Titan's temple, Tartarus dragged it along the side of Hyperion's face. The Titan of the West screamed in pain. Slowly and painfully, the razor-sharp blade carved the skin off Hyperion's face. It peeled away, oozing golden blood. Muscles wriggled and contracted as Hyperion screamed. Throwing the wounded Titan down, Tartarus put his foot on top of his head and pushed. With a sickening crunch, Hyperion's head exploded. Brain, bone, and gold splattered the ground. The monsters roared and cheered. Krios turned tail and ran. Another flick of the wrist and a black rope ensnared the fleeing Titan's leg, dragging him backwards. Tartarus lifted the rope to look Krios in the face.

"Good try," he said, mockingly. Krios spat in the Pit's face in defiance.

"Go to Chaos." Krois muttered. In response, Tartarus flung the Titan into the air. He leaped up and slammed his elbow into the back of the lesser immortal. Krios impacted the ground with a cloud of dust, much to the amusement of the army. Tartarus picked up Krios by the throat. He punched into Krios' ribcage and ripped out his heart. Krios went limp. The still beating muscle spewed ichor everywhere. Tartarus squeezed and it exploded. The monsters took the message well. Tartarus was not to be crossed. The Primordial threw the limp body to the ground. He turned and surveyed his army. They were quiet. Their leader was a terrifying sight. Golden ichor covered his hand and was splattered across his body. A telkhine began clapping. The effect was immediate. Soon, every monster was applauding their leader. Whistles and cheers echoed across the landscape. Tartarus spread his arms and laughed. This was his army. And he would lead them.

Back on the surface, a boy of sixteen stood on the balcony of a brownstone mansion. He gazed out over the Boston Harbor at the slowly sinking sun. A lot had changed since seven years ago. Along with his significant other, they had started a homeless shelter, his friend got married to her fiance, and his two other friends opened up another clothing store. He heard footsteps behind him.

"Hey, Beantown," a voice said softly. Magnus Chase turned to see Alex Fierro leaning against the rooftop door in bright green Hotel Valhalla pajamas. Her bright green hair stood out against the brown of the house. Magnus smiled.

"Hey," he said and turned back to the sunset. The sky was bright orange close to the sun and gradually turned blue to black. Alex walked over so she was next to him.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"I doubt you'll find a view like this in any of the other eight Realms," Magnus said. Alex shrugged.

"Eh, Jotunheim is pretty awesome at night,"

"You know what else is awesome at night? Magnus asked, a mischievous smile on his face.

"I swear to Odin if you say you are I will garrote your ass so hard…"

"A movie," Magnus said. Alex blinked.

"You're not wrong,"

"Let's go," Magnus took Alex's hand and they went back into the Chase Space.

Usually the house were filled with homeless kids or runaways, but tonight it was empty. Magnus went down to the living room and sifted through the movies.

"Whaddya wanna watch?" he yelled to Alex.

"I don't care." she called back. The sound of popcorn rippled through the house. Magnus scanned the movies before grabbing the second season of _Doctor Who_. He popped it into the DVD player and flopped onto the couch. Alex walked in, carrying a big bowl of popcorn.

"Really? _Doctor Who_? That's not even a movie,"

"What? I like it," Magnus said. "And, no, I'm not changing it."

"Oh, fuck you,"

"Love ya too," Magnus muttered. Alex sat on the couch next to him. He started to reach for the popcorn but Alex swatted his hand away.

"No popcorn for thirty minutes,"

"Why?"

"Because you put on this stupid thing." Alex nodded to the T.V.

"That's not fair!"

"Yes, it is." Alex tossed some popcorn into her mouth. Magnus sighed. There was no arguing with her when she got like this.

A few episodes later, the popcorn was gone. Magnus stared at the bowl mournfully.

"I never got any," Alex stood nearby, in the form of a gorilla. If a gorilla could look smug, Alex did. She changed back to a human.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?" she kissed him. Magnus smelled the snack on her breath.

"Yeah, a bit."

"Well, then maybe you can have some." Alex kissed Magnus again, more forcefully. It went from a simple kiss to a full on make-out. A distant rumble shook the house, the sound of an explosion following. Magnus and Alex broke apart and ran up to the balcony. As Magnus surveyed the bay, Alex turned into a falcon and flew away. Magnus summoned Jack.

"Hey, boss. What's up?"

"There was an explosion a few minutes ago. We need to figure out where it is and what caused it."

"Ah, gotcha. Let me take a look."

"Alex is already doing that,"

"Oh, whatever. Just throw me into the air." Magnus sighed at his sword's attitude, but flung Jack into the air. As the sword spiraled into the air, Alex flew back, her plumage smoking and singed. She transformed back into human form, coughing and smelling like smoke. Magnus knelt next to her to heal her, but Alex waved him off.

"I saw what caused it," she coughed.

"What was it?" Jack asked, spiraling back down.

"Fire jotun. Medium sized, but still big enough to cause some damage." Alex said. Magnus helped her up.

"Let's go get him," Magnus said. He turned Jack back into pendant form, feeling a bit tired, and grabbed the landline. Quickly dialing the number for Blitzen's Best, Magnus watched out the window as smoke and fire rose from the Boston skyline. A recording of Blitz's voice came through the speaker.

"You've reached Blitzen's Best, the best clothing store in this realm. For hours, press one. For over-the-phone orders, press two. For any other requests, press three." Magnus stabbed at the number three on the pad. A dial tone buzzed before an actual voice came through.

"Blitzen's Best, you've pressed three. How can I help?" Magnus heard his dwarf friend voice.

"Fire giant, few miles from Chase Space," Magnus yelped. Blitz sighed.

"Nice to see you too, Magnus. I'm assuming you need Hearth and I?"

"Yeah. And quickly please," Magnus said. He hung up and turned to Alex. "They're on the way."

"Great. Let's go stall Nasty before anything bad happens," Alex said, walking towards the door.

The two _enherji_ ran through the streets, heading for the smoke.

The demon frantically ran across the hellish landscape of the Land of Demons. He had to get to the surface. His mind was racing a mile a minute, mostly about the meeting he had seen a few hours ago. Lord Apophis was free and two other gods were plotting to annihilate the gods. His thumbtack head glinted red in the light. He ran to the River of the Night and dove in. The current carried him through the Duat to the mortal world in the Nile Delta. Climbing out of the river, he shook himself off. Thumbtack stared at the brightening sky, noting star positions. He set off south, heading for Giza. There was one person he knew of that would take this seriously.

A few hours later, Thumbtack staggered up to the Sphinx. The journey would have been grueling for a human, but demons were most definitely not human. He found the door between the paws and pounded on it.

"Let me in magicians!" He yelled. The door flew open, a man looking rather cranky. When he saw the demon, his eyes widened. He raised his wand. "No magic! Please! I need to speak to Kane! It's urgent!" The demon wailed. The magician glared at him, then spoke a spell. The demon felt magic reading his intentions. The magician threw a ball at the demon. Magical twine bound his hands and feet and he fell over. The magician picked up the hogtied Thumbtack and carried him into the Hall of Ages.

Thumbtack had never been inside the House of Life and was understandably amazed. Multicolored curtains showed different ages of Egypt, casting a myriad of light across his face. It was beautiful.

The magician stomped closer to the throne. This stupid demon was heavy. Finally, he reached the dias where an African-American man sat, the crook and flail of Ra at his side, hand clasped with a woman a bit younger than him, wearing the leopard skin cape of the Chief Lector.

"Lord and Lady Kane," the magician bowed, dumping the demon to the ground.

"What's the problem, O'Malley?" the woman asked. "Carter and I are rather busy."

"Sadie, we're having a thumb war," the man sighed.

"Um, this demon showed up seeking an audience with you." he gestured to the demon. Carter Kane frowned.

"Why?"

"I have no idea,"

"The Serpent!" the demon wailed. Carter went rigid. Sadie frowned.

"Back to your post, O'Malley. We will handle this." Carter stood. He untied the twine and helped the demon up. "Come, demon. We have much to talk about."

**I have so much planned for this story, it's ridiculous. I actually re-wrote this chapter because what I had before literally did nothing for the story, so I took it out and changed it. Review, please! I enjoy seeing reviews in my email because it motivates me. -RFA**


	4. IV

Jason crossed his arms and frowned.

"Come again?"

"We found a survivor. Ten years old. Female. Don't know her name," Nico's voice emanated from the speaker phone. "Thals and I have done all we can here."

"Have you gotten any leads as to what happened?" Percy asked. The son of Poseidon was sitting next to Jason, twirling Riptide in pen form between his fingers.

"Not really. Shadow Three, Caley, did a spell to figure out where they came from and where they went. All she got was they used a portal. No idea from where or to where." Nico replied. Jason cursed under his breath. How could a small army attack and leave with no trace? It made no sense.

"Alright. Return back and tell Thalia I want to meet with her,"

"As you wish. Shadow Leader out." Nico cut the connection. Jason leaned back in his chair. Percy flipped the pen in the air.

"What're you gonna tell the people?"

"I don't know, Perce."

"Tell them the truth. Or most of it, at least." Jason stared at his cousin.

"Are you insane? What do I say? Hey guys, our Alaska settlement was annihilated and everyone died. I can't do that,"

"If you keep the truth from them and it leaks, people will question your motives and authority. We worked too hard to get all this set up just to lose it to one attack. We knew that much and so did they when they went there. Honesty is the best policy." Percy pointed out.

"The whole truth isn't best through."

"Then just say a bunch of monsters got them. We'll avenge them and never go to Alaska again." Percy advised. Jason considered, then nodded.

"Alright. Tell the press I'll hold a conference in five hours." He stood and walked over to the door. Percy followed and exited the Emperor's office. Jason closed the door and sat back at his desk. He buried his face in his hands in exasperation. When he pulled them away, a light was shimmering in the room. It was coming from the scrying bowl.

When the U.D.E reached an agreement with the House of Life, Carter Kane had gifted a scrying bowl to each the Seven to keep in touch. Jason went over to it and activated it. The face of Carter Kane, Pharaoh of the House of Life, appeared in the magical oil.

"Took you long enough," he grumbled. Jason sighed.

"What's up, Kane?"

"Some big stuff. A few hours ago, my time, a demon showed up directly from the Duat. He had some news,"

"What was it?"

"I can't explain over magical means, someone could eavesdrop. Can we meet up in two days in Brooklyn?"

"Yeah. Can you at least tell me the gist of it?"

"The Dark Ones are coming together."

"The Dark Ones?"

"I'll explain when we meet. Bring the Seven. I'll bring Sadie. Can you ask Annabeth to get her cousin?"

"Magnus? What does Norway have to do with this?"

"A lot. Two days, Grace," Carter cut the connection. Jason stood at the bowl a bit longer, then sat back down.

"Fuck," he muttered. Closing his eyes, he rested his head on his desk, Hopefully, he could get some shut-eye.

A persistent knocking woke the son of Jupiter from his sleep.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Sparky," Piper's voice said. Jason sighed with relief.

"Come in, hon." Piper opened the door and walked in. She kissed her husband on the cheek.

"Percy told me what you're gonna do. We should have told them earlier."

"I hope I still have their trust after."

"You will. You're the only one to lead. You are the son of Jupiter," Piper noted.

"Yeah, got that memo." Piper laughed softly and kissed him again.

"Do we get some together time later?"

"Sure." The rulers of the demigods sat in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's warmth.

In a cavern deep beneath the ground, Loki glared at Tartarus.

"Could you please hurry up?"

"Not my fault! These damn chains won't break!" the god of the Pit swung a battleaxe at the bonds. The blade shattered like glass. Apophis hissed.

"If you can't be freed, maybe we should bag this whole idea," Loki glared at the serpent.

"No, you overgrown worm. I can get out." Apophis stared at the chains. A shimmering hieroglyph appeared over them. Isfet. Chaos. The chains glowed red. Tartarus hefted a second axe and swung with all his might. Loki pulled as he never had before.

The chains shattered.

Loki was free.

And the fall of the gods crept ever closer.

Jason straightened his golden laurel wreath. He was about to inform the press of the situation in Alaska. Demigod reporters from every U.D.E news station was there. It was of course Annabeth's idea to have demigod news in each city for any demigod living there. Which was most of the major cities. Piper adjusted his tie and kissed him.

"Go get 'em, Sparky." Jason grinned. He took a breath and walked to the podium. Reporters flooded him with questions and cameras flashed. He held up a hand and the crowd quieted.

"Most of you have some idea as to why you're here. Let me tell you the full story. A few weeks ago, for reasons unknown, we lost contact with our Alaska demigods. We had no idea how or why. Immediately after, I sent Commander LaRue and her Spartans to gather intelligence. They found the entire place destroyed. One survivor was brought back. He died of his wounds, but not before telling us what he saw. I then dispatched the Shadow Force and contacted the Hunters of Artemis to gather more intel. Between these four sources, my advisors and I formed this conclusion. A massive force of at least five hundred monsters attacked and annihilated the settlement." The reporters sent up a clamor. Questions flew fast at Jason's face. He sent a bolt of lightning into the air to quiet them and nodded to a reported.

"Kevin Macster, DNS. Um, Emperor, what do you plan to do about this attack?"

"My first decision was to find this army and attack. The problem is, we don't know where they went. Or where they came from, for that matter." Jason pointed to another reporter.

"Do you think it's possible one of our own helped them?"

"It's a possibility."

"What will you do with Alaska?" Someone called out.

"The Aleutian border will be closed. I asked the gods to seal off the border. Unfortunately, they haven't yet. A border guard will be set up."

"Do the other groups, the magicians and _einherjar, _know about this?"

"Yesterday, Pharaoh Kane contacted me with some news from his side. We will meet in two days. As for the Norse, no contact has been made. That's all for now. I will notify you if anymore information comes in." Jason exited, ignoring the calls for more answers.

"Run that by me again." Sadie said to the demon.

"Lord Apophis is working with two others. A scary man with a swirly for a face and another man with scars." the demon said. Carter frowned.

"Swirly face," he mused. Summoning a sheet of papyrus and a pen, he handed them to the demon. "Draw them." The demon began sketching. How he could see what he was doing, Carter had no idea. But when the rather detailed drawing was handed back to the siblings, Carter knew something bad was going on. Three faces were drawn in black ink. One was unmistakably Apophis. It was the snake god. The other two were foreign to Carter. One seemed to be a rocky landscape with a whirlpool of darkness in the center. The other seemed like a normal, somewhat handsome man, if not for the scars across his face. Carter noted they looked like acid or poison burns. Perforations dotted his lips, as though his mouth had been sewn shut. The demigods would know at least one of them. Hopefully Magnus Chase knew the other.

The battlefield was soaked with blood. Swords clashed and arrows whistled through the air. Battle cries of warriors echoed across the landscape. Magnus sprinted through the carnage, slashing at opponents and blocking with his shield. His hallmates fought at his side. Well, front in Halfborn's case. The berserker charged into a mass of _einherjar_, swinging his axes, cleaving warriors in two. Blood splattered Halfborn as he laughed.

"Halfborn!" A booming voice called. Big Lou rumbled over, sweeping Vikings out of his way. Halfborn sighed.

"You guys want to attack the usual?"

"It's the only way, oaf." Mallory Keen said. T.J. reloaded his rifle and fired. The bullet zipped into Lou's eye.

"Ow! No fair!" Alex charged in, changing to a raven as he did so. When he got close enough, shhe e shifted back to a human and swung his garrot. The wire sliced through Lou's neck like clay. His head fell with a smile. Alex grinned at Halfborn.

"You took too long." Halfborn sighed and flung his axe into a group of charging warriors.

"Killstealer." The berserker muttered and trudged off to more slaughter, Mallory and T.J. close behind. Magnus watched his currently boyfriend change into a rhinoceros and impale Freddie from Floor 28.

"Hey!" he yelled. Alex huffed and slammed Freddie to the ground were he was ripped apart by the rocks. Magnus watched as five or so archers aimed at Alex, who had shifted to a bear and was mauling a helpless newbie.

"I gotta save everyone's asses." Magnus muttered. He ran over, slashing and stabbing. "Sorry! So sorry! You'll be okay!" Magnus yelled as his foes went down. A spear impaled itself in the shield. Magnus pulled it out and flung it at the thrower, who deflected it with a shield of his own. Another spear rocketed into the ground, sticking Magnus' foot. Biting back the pain, he pulled it out and limped away. A blinding pain brought him down. Magnus looked at the shaft now impaled in his stomach. The pain was sending him into shock. The spear thrower came over, frowning.

"You died too quick." He drove the spear farther into Magnus' body. He drew a short sword and swung. Magnus felt his gut split open and he died.

The gray mist of the Ginnungagap was really dumb. As Magnus watched, it bled away to reveal Loki in a massive, dark, cavern. At least, it seemed like a cavern. The god of mischief stood before Magnus, freed of his chains. He was examining the rock around him. Turning, he seemed to notice Magnus.

"Bit of a fixer-upper, ain't it?"

"How are you free?"

"I have some friends who were more than willing to get me out. I don't know if you know who they are, but let's just say you probably don't want to meet them. We have a mission that will not fail,"

"What?"

"Our mission is to destroy the gods." Loki looked behind Magnus and nodded. A horrible roaring noise shredded his dream and he woke up. Quickly, he threw on some clothes and sprinted down the hall. He got on an elevator and went down. The Norwegian Muzak did calm his nerves somewhat, but not completely. He stepped off and ran to the front desk.

"Helgi!" he yelled.

"What is it? I'm busy!" Helgi's irritated voice came back.

"You're never busy," Hunding muttered. Magnus scrambled up to the desk, slipping and falling. He scrambled back up.

"How quickly can you contact Odin?" he asked, breathlessly. Helgi frowned.

"Depends. What is it?"

"I had a dream. Loki's free," Magnus said. Helgi frowned.

"Nonsense. Loki cannot break free of his new bonds until Ragnarok,"

"Yeah, well, he's free," Magnus said. "If you don't send him that message, I will." Helgi sighed.

"There's no need to threaten me, boy." The thane whistled and a raven flew onto the desk. Helgi scrawled a note and gave it to the bird. The raven snapped it up and took off. Magnus began heading for the main entrance.

"Where are you going?" Hunding called. Magnus turned and smirked.

"Why, I'm going to visit my dear cousin."


	5. V

**Sorry for not updating. School sucks ASS.**

Odin sat upon his throne, Hlidskjalf, and gazed upon the Nine Realms. Somewhere out there was Loki. He had gotten the message from Hundi a few hours ago and immediately dispatched the gods to find him. Of course, being gods, they weren't doing a very good job. Thor was busy farting around Jotunheim, literally and metaphorically, Tyr had joined a pickup basketball game in Midgard, Bragi was at a concert in Nidavellir, Frey was in Alfheim with the elves, and various other gods weren't doing a good job. The only ones who were actually helping were Heimdall, Frigg, and, surprisingly, Freya. Heimdall was doing his thing, Gjallar at the ready. Freya was tromping across Niflheim with Skadi, both discussing something animatedly, probably the pros and cons of men. Frigg sat next to the Allfather, searching. Odin opened his eyes. No sign of his brother anywhere. Frigg touched his arm.

"Did you see him?" she asked. Odin sighed.

"No. I wonder if Heimdall has had any luck." Odin stood and headed for the Bifrost where Heimdall stood guard, slowly sweeping his gaze across the Realms. When he heard his king approaching, he turned and knelt.

"My liege,"

"Oh, spare the formalities, Heimdall. Have you seen anything?" The Norse king asked. Heimdall shook his head.

"No, sir. Though I did see a few jotuns partying,"

"Who was it?"

"Utgard-Loki. I didn't think much of it because he's always partying." Hemdall explained. Odin sighed.

"Loki must be found. Ragnarok could be upon us soon,"

"Odin, have you consulted the Norns yet?" Frigg asked. Odin shook his head.

"I doubt they would tell me anything. They are… fickle,"

"Fate is a fickle thing, Odin Borrson," Odin, Frigg, and Heimdall whirled around to see one of the Norns, Skuld, standing before them. All three gods knelt. "Oh, don't do that. You've no need to kneel." Odin stood and looked up at the Norn's pure white face.

"Skuld, I need answers."

"I'm sure you do."

"I want you to answer truthfully and honestly to the best of your ability. Is Ragnarok upon us?"

"Yes and no," she answered. Odin waited for an explanation. When one was not forthcoming, he pressed on.

"Can you explain?"

"Odin, you know that fate is… odd. We Norns do not control it, we merely manage it. My sisters and I have seen the fate of the worlds. Ragnarok is inevitable, that much is true. But it will not come soon. In the long run, this is simply a test. A test to see if the combined might of the gods will stand against a great threat."

"What is the threat?" Frigg asked. The Norn faced the queen of Asgard.

"I expect you'll learn soon enough, Lady Frigg." And she was gone. Heimdall frowned.

"Well, that wasn't much help,"

"Perhaps not," Odin murmured. "I will be leaving for a few days. I am going to Olympus to confer with Zeus. I do know we have a blood connection to them through the Chase line. The Chase girl is wise, as are her brethren. They will have determined the threat soon enough."

Odin didn't know it, but the demigods he spoke of had already figured out the threat.

The meeting was top-secret. It was currently being held in a bunker under Brooklyn which was connected to the Labyrinth. The leaders of the U.D.E, the House of Life, as well as Magnus Chase and Alex Fierro were gathered. One might expect the meeting to be cold and serious, but that could not be farther from the truth.

Frank was arm-wrestling with Leo with Percy and Hazel providing support, Alex and Nico were discussing the pros and cons of people, while Piper and Sadie threw bits of paper at everyone. The only ones actually doing anything important were Annabeth, Jason, Magnus, and Carter.

Carter explained the encounter with the demon while the two blondes took notes.

"You said he drew a sketch?" Annabeth asked. Carter nodded. He reached into the Duat and pulled out the parchment. He handed it to the two.

Apophis was clearly recognizable on the left. The center figure was unknown, but the last one… Annabeth drew in a sharp breath, causing Jason to look up in concern.

"Percy," Annabeth said. Everyone stopped as Percy walked over.

"What's up?" he asked. Annabeth pointed to the figure on the right. Percy's eyes widened.

"Is that…" The son of Poseidon whispered.

"I think so." Annabeth murmured. Jason looked back and forth between them, confused.

"What is it? Who is that?"

"I don't want to say his name, but… it's where we fell." Annabeth said. Jason's eyebrows shot up.

"Him? He's one of them?" he asked, incredulous. Percy nodded.

"It makes sense, considering the attack." Carter spoke up, unable to hold his confusion.

"Who is it? What attack?"

"Remember what I told you had happened few days ago? In Alaska?" Jason asked. Carter remembered the briefing he had received just a few hours ago from Nico di Angelo. A moderately large force of monsters had attacked a settlement in Alaska. The lone survivor, Audrei, had described purple portals opening and monsters spilling out. Some were Greek, others had been described as Egyptian demons.

"But who is that?" The young pharaoh asked.

"Tartarus," Percy said, quietly. The word caused the lights to flicker and the temperature rapidly decrease. Everyone was silent.

"Who's the last one?" Jason asked, pointing to the center figure. Annabeth and Carter shrugged. Magnus took a look at it. He narrowed his eyes.

"You gotta be kidding me," he muttered. "I thought he was done."

"Who is it?" Annabeth asked.

"Loki, the god of mischief. Though chaos would suit him better. He wants nothing more than to get Ragnarok started."

"So we have the three big baddies fighting us?" Leo asked. Annabeth nodded.

"We need to prepare for attacks. The demigods could fend off large attacks from monsters."

"My brother and I will send messages to the different nomes. We've got enough magicians to hold out." Sadie said.

"I'll talk to Hunding about getting the _einherjar _on alert. I can also ask my Aunt Freya about moving the Vanaheim warriors to Valhalla." Magnus said. Frank raised a hand.

"Carter, Sadie, do you have any means of magical recon or surveillance?" The son of Mars asked. Carter nodded.

"Yeah, why?"

"I was thinking about setting up an intelligence network. Leo here and the Hephaestus kids can design mechanical means and we have plenty of children of Apollo, Hecate, and others. I'm thinking we combine our strength so we can learn of the enemy's plans easier." Frank explained. Carter and Sadie had a silent exchange. Sadie answered for both of them.

"Where would the base be?"

"Somewhere close to Tartarus," Leo said. "It'd be easier to tap into whatever goes on down there." The Seven knew exactly where to find that was.

"Rome," Hazel said. Sadie raised an eyebrow.

"Why there?"

"It's the closest place to a major Tartarus entrance," Piper replied.

"If you want, I could get Heimdall to assist," Magnus said. "Maybe not in person, but at least get him to report in from time to time. He'd have information on Loki." Annabeth stood.

"It's settled then. We'll begin logistics tomorrow. The base has to be set up within four days at the earliest, a week at the latest. We'll have to inform the gods about the threat. This could very well be worse than anything we've ever faced." The leaders stood. Sadie and Carter opened a portal and left for Egypt. Annabeth pulled Magnus aside.

"Hey, keep in touch, will ya? We're gonna need as much info as possible for this." Magnus nodded.

"No problem, cuz."

"See ya later, you butt." Annabeth teased. Magnus rolled his eyes.

"Are you ever gonna outgrow that?" Annabeth shook her head.

"Probably not," she said. The cousins left each other. Magnus and Alex mounted Stanley the Eight-Legged Horse while the Seven boarded the _Argo III. _Leo lifted the flying warship into the air and they flew for home.

As soon as New Olympus was in view, Jason took off from the deck of the _Argo III_. He soared through the air and Olympus broke through the clouds. Zooming closer to the peak, he landed outside the palace. The Celestial Broze and Imperial Gold gates opened and Jason walked in. He made his way to the throne room where Zeus, no Jupiter, was waiting as promised. He was in god mode, twenty feet tall.

"Welcome, my son." The king of the gods said.

"I'm assuming you got my _whole_ message?"

"Yes. What was it again?" Jupiter asked, picking his fingers with the master bolt. Jason resisted the urge to sigh in annoyance.

"The three bad guys of the pantheons are assembling. Tartarus, Loki, and Apophis. They're massing armies and preparing to-"

"It'll be fine, son. The combined might of the gods will be enough to stop the Pit," Jupiter said. Jason composed himself.

"Dad, this isn't a joke. It's not Kronos or the Titans and it sure as Hades isn't Porphyrion and the giants. This is _Tartarus_. The Lord of Monsters. It's going to be much worse than either of the two threats."

"That's what was said before. And look what has happened. You're flourishing. Leave this to the gods. It is of no concern to you." Jupiter began picking more with the bolt. Jason balled his fists and flew up to stare his father in the eyes.

"It is in fact my concern. We've worked hard to get all this set up and with very little help from you guys. A demigod can walk from San Diego to the tip of Maine without fear of a monster attack. We have demigods in every state. It's never been safer. All you guys have done is a weak thumbs up!" Jason said. "And now Tartarus himself is ready to strike against you. Get Olympus on high alert so you don't die." Jupiter regarded his son with an unreadable expression.

"Very well. As soon as something happens, we will alert you." The king of Olympus vanished with a clap of thunder. Jason sighed and flew out of the throne room. The _Argo III_ was just setting down at the docks. He landed on the deck just as the rest of the Seven were coming up. Piper kissed him.

"How'd it go?" she asked. Jason sighed.

"It took a bit of convincing, but Jupiter will alert Olympus and will tell us if anything happens," he said. "Annabeth, how soon can you get the intelligence base up?" The daughter of Athena furrowed her brow.

"Well, I'll need as many engineers and builders as we can spare. Leo will help out, along with some Hephaestus and Vulcan campers. And some soldiers, too. Like I said, we will need to get it running no later than a week. That's assuming we don't have any snags and nothing goes wrong."

"Hey, don't jinx us!" Percy yelled, quickly rapping his knuckles on the mast. "Wise Girl, we're demigods, remember?" The group laughed bitterly. There was bad luck and then there was demigod bad luck. They didn't need any worse.

As the Seven walked off the warship, a group of demigods walked up to them. It was mostly bodyguards, but Reyna, Rachel, Clarisse, and Chris were among them. The two praetors of Camp Jupiter were with them as well. Quinn Devillo and Sarah Jones.

Reyna and Jason had always been watching Sarah closely, since she had been a supporter of Octavian. Before the augur's death, Sarah was his second. Octavian had taught her to use words almost as well as he had. However, Reyna and Jason disregarded all that in favor of her other skills. Jason knew she handled delegations and was the main ambassador to the rest of the U.D.E. Her Apollo lineage granted her limited foresight, allowing her to predict enemy movements before they happened and giving orders to counter them. She wasn't the best at leading charges, preferring to stay behind with the archers.

Quinn, however, was a much better fighter. He was a son of Bellona and was among the best warriors in the legion. His skill with a javelin was unparalleled and he often would lead from the front lines. Despite his combat leadership, his speaking abilities were lacking. His manner of speaking was simple compared to Sarah. Both compliment each other well.

The leaders approached the small group and the guards stood at attention. Leo and Reyna ran to each other and hugged, quickly exchanging a kiss. The four leaders of the camps nodded to the leaders of an empire.

"Good to see you guys back," Chris said. "We got your message. What's up?"

"We'll talk back at the palace. But trust us when we say it's not good," Piper said. Quinn frowned.

"Why?" the teen asked. Jason couldn't help but be amazed at his calmness. The guy was only sixteen and yet here he was, in front of the strongest demigods possibly ever.

"There's been a situation, so to speak," Frank said.

"Is it about Alaska? I heard about that," said Sarah.

"No, but it is linked to that," Annabeth replied. "Let's go. We have a lot to discuss."

**So the gods and demigods are aware of their enemies' intentions. I'm working on the next chapter now, so it shouldn't be too long until another update. Hopefully... Peace out! -RFA**


	6. VI

**ArtemisApollo97: Nice to see you reviewing my stories. I think you might like this chapter a bit. I dunno, just my opinion.**

When Scottie heard about the offer for any demigods willing to join the New Olympus Defense Force, he had expected it to be mostly a bit guard duty around the walls and lots of free time to talk to some _fine_ daughters of Venus or Aphrodite.

What wasn't expected was near-constant drills on the parade ground, taking care of horses, unicorns, and _pegasi_, polishing the whole armory, and guard duty nearly everyday on top of The Wall for ten grueling hours. The Defense Force, as General Arrellano put it, was "tasked with defending not only the capital of the United Demigod Empire, but also protecting the home of the gods". While that made sense, Scottie was a bit miffed. He knew this job was important, but wouldn't there be time for relaxation?

A loud clanging jolted Scottie from his thoughts. He pressed a button on the spear he held, transforming into a rifle, and looked around for the source of the sound. His gaze came to rest on a group of kids running around outside the city walls, throwing rocks at the metal on top of the wall. As Scottie watched, one kid threw a sizeable rock. It arced through the air, striking the target with a clang.

"Hey, kids! Quit throwing rocks everywhere!" His partner, a loudmouthed daughter of Dionysus named Maya, yelled down. The kids jeered and threw more rocks. Scottie sighed.

"Stupid kids," he muttered and transformed his rifle back to a spear. Maya smacked the back of his helmet.

"Be nice," she reprimanded. Scottie scowled.

"I can't deal with little kids, Maya. I just can't," he said. Maya shrugged.

"Neither can I. But since they're gonna grow up and be like us, you're gonna have to tolerate them." she said.

Scotte glanced at his watch. The seconds hand slowly ticked it way around, the minute and hour hand moving agonizingly slowly.

12:22: The kids went back inside the walls.

12:35: Trading caravans arrived to deliver goods to the city.

1:14: A flock of birds flew overhead.

1:56: Maya beat Scottie in rock, paper, scissors for the fiftieth time in a row

2:29: One guard accidentally dropped his spear outside the walls.

2:58: It stormed for a few minutes before Emperor Grace calmed down Zeus.

3:3-

A massive fireball arced through the sky, slamming into the ground a few hundred yards away from the walls. The shockwave rippled through the ground, throwing Scottie and Maya down. Other guards fell. Alarms began blaring as The Wall shifted into battle mode. Scorpion _ballistae_ rose up, primed and ready to go. Spikes and circular saw blades jutted out from the top, ready to prevent any scaling ladders. This time, when Scottie changed his weapon, he actually had some idea of what might be coming. Maya looked through a pair of binoculars and grunted.

"You'd think they would have learned to stay away," she muttered, handing the binoculars to Scottie. "But those dumbasses barely have enough sense to pick their noses."

She was referring to a force of nearly eight hundred Cyclopes and Laystrigonians; barely enough to even make a dent in the city walls. They were pushing siege weapons and Scottie frowned. Why would they be attacking the city? A force of that size would be enough to-

"Shit," Scottie said. He immediately hit the comm signal for the General.

Reyna was suiting up when her comm went off. She pressed the receive button on her earpiece.

"General here," she said. "Identify, please."

"General, this is Wall Guard Scottie, identification number Oh-Two-Eight-Three. General, I have a not so wonderful thought." The guard said. Reyna frowned.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well, the force of monsters that is attacking is about eight hundred strong. That's not enough to even break through the gates."

"Yes, it is odd, but your duty is to defend the Wall, soldier."

"I understand, General, but I respectfully recommend that you check in with the camps." Realiztion dawned on Reyna.

"Advice taken, soldier. Now, defend the Wall."

"Yes, General," Scottie said. Reyna terminated the signal and keyed the sequence for Jason's office. She finished putting on her armor and ran out to the Wall.

"What's up, Reyna?" Jason's voice asked.

"Call the camps," Reyna yelled, scampering up the walls. "They could be in danger!"

Jason frowned, but heeded Reyna's advice. He picked up his desk phone and punched in the number for Sarah's comm at Camp Jupiter.

"Emperor Grace!" Sarah's voice rang through desperately. "We need reinforcements!" Jason was taken aback.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We're under attack!"

Camp Jupiter was indeed under attack. Fireballs flew through the air, fired by the monster's siege weapons. The bellows of Earthborn drowned out the war cries of the Twelfth Legion.

"_Ordenem servate_! _Gladium stringe_!" Quinn yelled. The legionnaires heeded his orders and formed up behind him. "Fifth and Fourth Cohorts, flank to the right! Take out those Cyclopes! First and Second, head right! We need those onagers taken out! First Cohort, behind me. We'll push through to the center! For Rome!" Quinn held his _gladius _and javelin aloft and led the charge.

Rachel Dare was walking through a store in New Olympus when a searing headache split her mind. She doubled over. Visions of the future flashed through, each more horrible than the last.

The camps and cities burning.

An army of monsters surrounding New Olympus.

Bodies of demigods in the fields of Tartarus.

Monsters and demons walking through the mortal world.

Mount Olympus itself falling to the ground in pieces.

The visions faded and Rachel stood shakily. She put back the item she was holding and ran out the door.

Running as fast as possible, Rachel reached the Imperial Palace. The guards tried to stop her, but upon recognizing the Oracle's host, they let her by.

Racing across the palace grounds, Rachel pounded on the door.

"Jason, Jas-!" The door flew open. Piper stood in the doorway, fear etched across her face.

"Rachel," The empress' charmspeak flowed over Rachel. "Calm down. What's wrong?"

"I had a vision."

Clarisse's sword chopped through a telkhine. Whirling around, she thrusted her spear through the gut of a Laistrygonian.

"Spartans!" She yelled. "Charge!" The elite warriors of Camp Half-Blood roared their battle cries, thirsty for blood.

The monster's front lines broke, shattered by the onslaught of the ferocious counterattack. The ringing of metal upon metal echoed across Half-Blood Valley. Chris Rodriguez's modified revolvers spat Celestial Bronze bullets into the horde of enemies.

Clarisse knew that even though her soldiers were good, they would fall of reinforcements didn't come eventually. As that thought left her mind, a shadow passed over the battlefield. Monsters and demigods alike looked up at the warship. A figure leaped down, sword in hand.

The black armored gleamed in the sun as the figure began slashing through the monsters. Clarisse was uncertain of its identity until a massive wave rose from the sea and roared towards them.

"For Poseidon!" The warrior's voice spread across the landscape. "For Greece!"

Percy Jackson had joined the brawl. The son of Poseidon tore through the enemy army so fast, even Clarisse was impressed. He used his sword and powers alternately, sucking the water out of monsters and using Riptide to great effect.

Percy managed to draw the monstrous horde away from Camp Half-Blood and New Athens and to the sea, where it would be easier for him to fight. But the strain of using his powers began to drain him. So he picked up a sword from a fallen telkhine and began dual wielding.

Then Riptide began sparking. Green sparks. Percy grinned. He knew what was coming.

A tidal wave swamped over him and when it receded, a woman stood on the beach and looked back. Green eyes of equal intensity locked with Percy's.

"Wassup, fuckface?" Louisa Smith-Jackson asked. Her twin brother sighed.

"Fuck off, Lou. As much as I would _love _to chat, an army is currently harassing our home." Lou nodded in understanding.

"Ah, gotcha. Ya wanna deal wi' 'em?" Percy grinned.

"Gladly, dear sister." Lou turned to the snarling army.

"Oi nasties! Fuck off!" The twins of Poseidon raised their swords and charged.

**I realize it may or may not have been a HOT minute since I last updated this. Eh, sorry not sorry. Also, thank you to ArtemisApollo97 for letting me use her ****_amazing_**** OC, Louisa Smith-Jackson. Highly reccomend her rewrite series. They're some of my favorite stories on this site. -RFA**


	7. VII

**It got jumbled, but I did a clickety clack and fixed it. :)**

As soon as Sadie felt the explosion, she was out of bed. Pulling her staff and wand from the Duat, she raced to the breach. A dozen magicians were already there, attempting to stop the demons from getting through. One bat-winged demon with a plug for a head charged at Sadie, snarling. Sadie wove her wand through the air, casting a spell.

"Freeze!" She yelled in Ancient Egyptian. The demon froze in midair, claws outstretched. Sadie was about to kill it when Carter came out of nowhere, swinging his khopesh, and neatly bisecting the monster. The two halves fell to the ground.

"House of Life, to me!" Carter yelled, quickly encasing himself in a combat avatar and sowing destruction upon the demons. More magicians filled the House of Life's ranks, making their forces stronger.

"Carter! I'm going to try and contact Walt!" Sadie yelled.

"Gotcha!" Carter responded. Sadie fell back and ducked behind a chunk of stone. She gripped the amulet that Walt had given her years ago, when they were in Egypt running from Neith.

"Walt! The House of Life is-" Sadie never finished her sentence as she was suddenly yanked to Brooklyn House where chaos ruled. Not literal Chaos, but close enough.

Demons were trying to get in, but the house's magical defenses turned them to ash. Meanwhile, the residents were defending the house as best they could. Sadie saw Shelby, now fifteen, send a ray of light at a group of demons, vaporizing them.

"Take that, ya multi-faced bastards!" She yelled. Sadie smiled, remembering the little ankle-biter who had ran around with crayons. That ankle-biter was now one of the best magicians in Brooklyn House, having chosen the path of Horus the Elder, one of the first gods of Egypt, the god of the sky and light.

A blast of gray light from one of the many balconies blew away the demon's skin, their skeletons exposed, which also crumbled to dust. Walt Stone leaped down and ran over to Sadie.

"Did you bring reinforcements?" He asked. Sadie shook her head.

"I'm it. The First Nome is… also being attacked. It has been for the last four hours." Walt slammed a fist into the wall.

"Those damn monsters have been knocking since last evening. We're all exhausted." Sadie looked around.

"Where's Zia?" she asked, not seeing the fire-user. Walt led Sadie into a back room.

"She's going to try and attack them from behind," he explained. "By our guess, there's only about fifty left. The outer defenses kept them out and we used our powers to kill 'em faster. Zia wanted to take them all out at once."

"What are the casualties?" Sadie asked, not wanting to avoid the inevitable.

"Not bad, to be honest. Mostly injuries." Walt explained.

"Mostly?"

"We had one death. It… it was Julian." Walt said, hanging his head. Sadie covered her mouth with one hand in shock.

Julian had been the first recruit to choose the path of Horus, after Carter. He was great with the new kids, making them comfortable, having fun. He always organized monthly basketball tournaments. Besides that, he also became one of the best bladesmen, easily on par with Carter. Julian had wielded dual daggers engraved with hieroglyphics on the hilts and blades, allowing him to summon spells while swinging his blades around. It made him quite the warrior. His death would be a horrible loss for the Twenty First Nome.

Sadie turned her curved wand over a few times, lighting the end with a ghostly, purple fire.

"Let's avenger poor Julian, shall we?" Walt nodded grimly.

"I have these," he said and produced Julian's blades. "I will use them. In his name." Sadie nodded and kissed Walt.

"Off we go then,"

When the first explosion happened, Magnus wasn't too concerned. The einherji had all sorts of explode-y weapons that were employed on the battlefield. When a second one was heard, farther up, he still gave it no thought. But after the third, the fighting stopped. All the warriors looked around, wondering what the Helheim was happening. Helgi's voice came over the announcement system.

"Everyone please remain calm. The ravens are handling it,"

Then it all Helheim broke loose.

Five raven bodies fell through the air, thudding to the ground. A ripple of shock went through the masses. There was one unwritten rule of Valhalla: do not mess with the ravens and wolves. Bad things happen.

When the first fire jotun hit the ground, sword in hand, everything was quiet for a split-second before an einherji charged the giant.

More giants dropped out of the sky like eighty foot paratroopers, each holding an enormous weapon.

"I don't think this is a part of daily battles!" T.J. yelled before firing his rifle at a giant. The dead, but not dead, warriors charged the giants en masse, eager for the slaughter. Magnus wasn't so eager. Giants definitely were not humans, but he was still in Valhalla. Would he come back if he died? Would any of them?

"Alex! Wait!" he yelped. Alex didn't hear him, as the shapeshifter had loosed his garrote at the nearest jotun, lopping off it's head. Magnus cursed his luck and ran after Alex.

The yells of einherjar and bellows of fire jotuns rang in Magnus's ears as he charged across the battlefield. He stopped once or twice to dodge a massive blade or foot, but kept pressing on to find Alex. Another step took him forward and a blade smacked him backwards. Magnus slammed into a tree, bones breaking. The son of Frey groaned and looked up.

The giant seemed to be as big as his brethren. He held a massive broadsword wreathed in flame. Magnus sighed. Flaming swords were never good.

"Son of Frey!" the giant shouted. "The great thane of Muspelheim has sent me, Noggsagh to collect his sword!" Magnus frowned.

"You mean Surt?"

"Yes!"

"He already tried once. It didn't work." Magnus said, hand creeping up to the fehu pendant around his neck.

"He is aware. But I will not fail. You will burn, Vanir-spawn!" Noggnagh raised his sword and charged Magnus.

"Jack! Go!" Magnus yelled. He yanked Jack off his chain and sent the magical sword spiraling towards the giant.

"Waaahh! Señor! You could have woken me up first!" Jack yelped. Noggsagh whirled around, attempting to grab the sword. Then Magnus did something that he considered to be the dumbest thing he'd ever done.

He kicked Noggsagh in the shin.

The giant looked down at the tiny human who had kicked him. He bent down to pick up Magnus.

"I wasn't supposed to kill you. Surt wanted that chance at Ragnarok, after he forced you to watch your insignificant father die. But I suppose you can be a casualty, a mere number in this slaughter." Noggsagh began to squeeze. Magnus cried out as bones were crushed. His vision began tunneling, his brain throbbing. He felt a rib puncture his lung.

Not far away, Halfborn saw Magnus' predicament. He finished off the giant he had been hacking away at. The berserker looked around and saw Alex strangling another giant.

"Fierro!" he yelled. Alex pulled his garrote wire through the giant's throat and ran over.

"What?" Alex asked.. Halfborn pointed towards Magnus, who was starting to bleed from his nose and eyes. Alex's eyes went wide. He shapeshifted into a gorilla, picked up Halfborn, and threw the Viking. As Halfborn left Alex's hand, he pushed off to gain more distance. Both failed to realize that, as strong as gorillas are, they cannot throw a human very far, especially if that human is above average human dimensions.

Magnus was in excruciating pain, about to die when an object slammed into Noggsagh's back. A giant raven flew away and wheeled around, turning into Alex, who shifted into a very angry wolf. Halfborn's axe flashed as the berserker hacked away at the giant's back.

Noggsagh dropped Magnus is a hurry as he tried to dislodge the crazy human burrowing into his back and the even more insane wolf clawing at his face. Magnus fell to the ground, too weak and wounded to crawl away from the grisly spectacle.

With Alex's claws and teeth and Halfborn's axe, the two made short work of Noggsagh. The giant fell to the ground, his insides turned to much and his face a nightmare of scratches and wounds. Halfborn climbed out of the open back wound, covered in blood, grinning like a maniac. Alex leaped off the giant and ran over to Magnus, shifting back to human form. He skidded to a stop and sat next to Magnus as the sounds of the battle raged around them. Alex cradled Magnus' head and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Hey, Magnus. Look at me," Alex said. "You're gonna be fine. We're in Valhalla. You're gonna come back." Magnus couldn't say much, but gurgle as blood flowed out of his mouth. He could feel the power of Frey seeping into him, trying to fix the trauma from Noggsagh's very unsuccessful full body massage. Halfborn appeared behind Alex and raised his axe.

"He's in pain," Halfborn said. "Best you take him out now." Alex grabbed the axe.

"See you in a few, Beantown," he said and swung the axe.

Tartarus stared at the shimmering images of the seven major battles. He watched as his forces attacked the two demigod camps and their city. The demigod's losses weren't as numerous as his own army's. Damn their weapons. A Cyclops or Laystrigonian against a single unarmed demigod could win, no contest. But give that demigod a sword of Celestial Bronze and that demigod could take on two or three and still win.

And that was if the demigod had no powers. The Olympians were blessed to have powerful children. Children such as Nico di Angelo, Jason and Thalia Grace, and Perseus and Louisa Jackson. Styx, Perseus was the strongest demigod to ever live. He glanced over at the other two images; the ones of Loki's jotuns and a rapidly flashing mirage of Apophis's demons. The House of Life and all the magicians was in a veritable crisis. Fifty of the three hundred and sixty nomes had fallen and many more were being overrun.

The situation in Valhalla was much worse. In fact, the jotun attack had completely failed. What had Loki been thinking, sending an attack to a place where the army couldn't be killed. Tartarus had suggested sending forces to Nidavellir or Alfheim or, Styx, even Midgard, but no. Loki knew best because he was the one setting this up.

"What a waste," Apophis said. The snake had transformed into a man, albeit a reptilian looking one. His eyes were still blood-red and slitted. His canines were a tad longer than a normal human's and pointed, his tongue was forked and flickered out every so often, despite the fact that a nose rested on his face. His bald head shimmered in the red light of the Sea of Chaos, lines criss-crossing his skin.

"Indeed. That's at least a thousand giants that could have been sent elsewhere," he said. "At least our forces aren't doing too badly," he remarked. As the two watched, Perseus decimated an entire phalanx of Laistrygonians with a blast of water. It changed to show Jason Grace summon a lightning bolt that incinerated dozens of telkhines and centaurs. Apophis smirked.

"At least my forces are faring better," he said, pointing to an image of the Two Hundred and Thirty-Fourth Nome in Tokyo was destroyed, the skyscraper headquarters collapsing to the ground in a flurry of dust, glass, and red hieroglyphics. A feed of the Eighty-Eighth Nome in Los Angeles, California showed a joint force of U.D.E soldiers allied with the magicians fighting off a massive sphinx. It roared and swatted at a squad of demigods, scattering them. Magicians rushed over to provide cover. Blue hieroglyphs exploded against its skin, wounding it. One demigod grabbed a khopesh from a fallen magician and the sword shimmered, changing from steel to Celestial Bronze. A magician nearby spoke an incantation and the blade was coated in blue energy.

The two gods frowned. This was new. Yes, Egypt and Greece had combined before, but not like this. As they watched, the demigod charged the sphinx, dodging the desk-sized paws. Claws like scythes slashed into the ground. The demigod leaped onto the leg and clambered up, vaulting onto the back of the sphinx and hacking away madly. Blood flew everywhere until the head of the sphinx thudded to the ground and the body dissolved into dust and ash.

"The leadership of the U.D.E will inevitably learn about that, as will the House of Life," Apophis said, worried. Tartarus nodded. He was about to say something when he felt a tickle at the base of his neck. He reached a hand back when it faded.

That feeling was caused by the presence of the intelligence brigade. Annabeth stood in the abandoned lot where a sinkhole had opened up and swallowed three Fiats. The sinkhole had been caused by subtle tectonic tremors combined with the numerous catacombs beneath Rome, dating back to the days of the Roman Empire.

At least, that's what the mortals thought.

If any mortal with Clear Sight had seen it, and at least one very likely had, Annabeth figured, they would have seen all the way down to Tartarus. And the Cavern of Arachne where the Athena Parthenos had once been held. Annabeth shivered, recalling her quest through the catacombs to the cavern, her battle of the wits with Arachne, and worst of all, how she and Percy had fallen into Tartarus. Leo's voice jarred her from her thoughts and walked back to where the crew was waiting. None of them noticed the arai on top of a nearby building.

**Has it been awhile? Yes. Am I sorry? Yes. Is winter break finally here which means more time to write and update? YES! -RFA**


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